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The Writing Girls #2
A Tale of Two Lovers
He is notorious.
Lord Simon Roxbury is a godsend to gossip columnists everywhere. This notorious rake has recently been caught in an extremely compromising position by none other than The London Weekly's Lady of Distinction. Rumor also has it that Lord R received an be wed or be penniless.
She is scandalous.
As A Lady of Distinction, Lady Julianna Somerset typically reports on other people's scandals, but soon she finds herself embroiled in a very public battle with an irate Lord Roxbury—one that leaves her reputation in tatters and her position at The Weekly on the line.
Together, they're... respectable?
With no other choice available, these two enemies unite in a marriage of convenience to rescue both their reputations and secure his fortune. With their rivals intent on revealing the charade, Lady Julianna and Lord Simon inevitably surrender to temptation. It may just be a love match after all...
Lord Simon Roxbury is a godsend to gossip columnists everywhere. This notorious rake has recently been caught in an extremely compromising position by none other than The London Weekly's Lady of Distinction. Rumor also has it that Lord R received an be wed or be penniless.
She is scandalous.
As A Lady of Distinction, Lady Julianna Somerset typically reports on other people's scandals, but soon she finds herself embroiled in a very public battle with an irate Lord Roxbury—one that leaves her reputation in tatters and her position at The Weekly on the line.
Together, they're... respectable?
With no other choice available, these two enemies unite in a marriage of convenience to rescue both their reputations and secure his fortune. With their rivals intent on revealing the charade, Lady Julianna and Lord Simon inevitably surrender to temptation. It may just be a love match after all...
370 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 26, 2011
About the author
Maya Rodale
46 books1,631 followersMaya Rodale is the best-selling and award-winning author of funny, feminist fiction including historical romance, YA and historical fiction. A champion of the romance genre and its readers, she is also the author of Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained. Maya reviews romance for NPR and has appeared in Bustle, Glamour, Shondaland, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and PBS. She began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence and has never been allowed to forget it.
Sign up for her newsletter at www.mayarodale.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
February 13, 2012
My GR stats tell me I've read 27 books so far this year. Of those, I've given 5 stars to only 6 of them. A Tale of Two Lovers was one of those books.
Maya Rodale is a new-to-me author, but damned if she isn't going to become an autobuy. She is seriously good.
There are a number of really good reviews already on GR, so I'm not going to outline the plot (which was a novel spin on the gossipy ways of the ton and the strictures of 1820s England) or gush about the Hero (although he was extremely gush-worthy) or prattle on about the strength and wit of the heroine (what else can I say about a woman who shoots at drunken Hero when he won't quit singing dirty limericks outside of her house?).
I won't go into the pages of verbal sparring (which was fast-paced and entertaining), or how enjoyable it was to watch the Hero and heroine sharpening their wits on each other and falling in love in the process.
Did I mention the chemistry? It's not just their wits they are sharpening on each other -- they strike sparks from their first meeting. Delicious.
The author handles the switch from dislike and distrust to attraction, to passion, then love with a deft hand. I genuinely liked both characters. When they quit trying to ruin each other and started working together they were a force to be reckoned with.
This book is second in a series, but can be read as a stand alone - the characters from the first book appear here, but only peripherally.
A rollicking, entertaining battle of wits with just enough angst to add some depth, a little mystery to keep me guessing and enough steam to hold me in my chair for the better part of a Sunday.
5 stars -- and thanks to my GR friend Eastofoz for the recommendation!
Maya Rodale is a new-to-me author, but damned if she isn't going to become an autobuy. She is seriously good.
There are a number of really good reviews already on GR, so I'm not going to outline the plot (which was a novel spin on the gossipy ways of the ton and the strictures of 1820s England) or gush about the Hero (although he was extremely gush-worthy) or prattle on about the strength and wit of the heroine (what else can I say about a woman who shoots at drunken Hero when he won't quit singing dirty limericks outside of her house?).
I won't go into the pages of verbal sparring (which was fast-paced and entertaining), or how enjoyable it was to watch the Hero and heroine sharpening their wits on each other and falling in love in the process.
Did I mention the chemistry? It's not just their wits they are sharpening on each other -- they strike sparks from their first meeting. Delicious.
The author handles the switch from dislike and distrust to attraction, to passion, then love with a deft hand. I genuinely liked both characters. When they quit trying to ruin each other and started working together they were a force to be reckoned with.
This book is second in a series, but can be read as a stand alone - the characters from the first book appear here, but only peripherally.
A rollicking, entertaining battle of wits with just enough angst to add some depth, a little mystery to keep me guessing and enough steam to hold me in my chair for the better part of a Sunday.
5 stars -- and thanks to my GR friend Eastofoz for the recommendation!
November 30, 2011
A Tale of Two Lovers was a bit of a wall banger for me. Rodale's a good writer, so the prose flowed well and kept me invested in the story. Sadly, the main characters in this story are HORRIBLE PEOPLE (TM). I don't mind abrasive characters. I don't even mind characters with problematic personalities. But I do mind characters who intentionally inflict pain (physical or emotional) on others and never embark on a redemption arc. And on that note, meet our heroine, Julianna!
SUMMARY:
Julianna, Lady Somerset, is a widowed gossip columnist trying to break the next big story by besting her nemesis, The Man About Time, a gossip columnist from another paper. In order to do this, Julianna writes a damning story about notorious rake Lord Roxbury that ends up getting the man all but shunned by the Ton. In turn, Lord Roxbury ruins Julianna, and the two crazy kids are left with no other option than to marry (naturally). Is it a spoiler to say that they end up being meant for each other?
YE OLDE DELIGHTS:
Rodale's writing is the real star in this book. She kept me reading even when I was angry. The mystery surrounding The Man About Town was a fun diversion from the angst between the two main characters. I never guessed the identity of the man, and that's rare.
YE OLDE GARBAGE:
Julianna. Julianna, Julianna, Julianna, why doth thou hateth me so-eth? What she did was horrible, and she never took responsibility for it. While Roxbury wasn't much better, at least he stopped being a nincompoop halfway through the book when he was "redeemed by love."
I thought that the focus on the gossip columns would lead to some type of moral awakening - like, oh I don't know, gossip can be really MEAN and DAMAGING. But no. Julianna loves her work, which is nice, I guess ... if I considered dragging peoples' names through the mud for money NICE. I just couldn't relate. It especially irked me when
I wanted to like the characters. I really did. They even grew on me a few times, almost redeemed themselves by being charming. But in the end, I felt like they didn't learn anything other than how to love each other. That's great and all, but how am I supposed to believe that their love will last when they have so little respect for other people?
SUMMARY:
Julianna, Lady Somerset, is a widowed gossip columnist trying to break the next big story by besting her nemesis, The Man About Time, a gossip columnist from another paper. In order to do this, Julianna writes a damning story about notorious rake Lord Roxbury that ends up getting the man all but shunned by the Ton. In turn, Lord Roxbury ruins Julianna, and the two crazy kids are left with no other option than to marry (naturally). Is it a spoiler to say that they end up being meant for each other?
YE OLDE DELIGHTS:
Rodale's writing is the real star in this book. She kept me reading even when I was angry. The mystery surrounding The Man About Town was a fun diversion from the angst between the two main characters. I never guessed the identity of the man, and that's rare.
YE OLDE GARBAGE:
Julianna. Julianna, Julianna, Julianna, why doth thou hateth me so-eth? What she did was horrible, and she never took responsibility for it. While Roxbury wasn't much better, at least he stopped being a nincompoop halfway through the book when he was "redeemed by love."
I thought that the focus on the gossip columns would lead to some type of moral awakening - like, oh I don't know, gossip can be really MEAN and DAMAGING. But no. Julianna loves her work, which is nice, I guess ... if I considered dragging peoples' names through the mud for money NICE. I just couldn't relate. It especially irked me when
I wanted to like the characters. I really did. They even grew on me a few times, almost redeemed themselves by being charming. But in the end, I felt like they didn't learn anything other than how to love each other. That's great and all, but how am I supposed to believe that their love will last when they have so little respect for other people?
September 10, 2011
Strong heroine, alpha hero and they hate each other right off the bat because she’s spreading a nice tidbit of gossip about him ---something I haven’t seen yet in a straight up historical so I was VERY surprised at how well the scene that fuels the rumor was done.
Lady Julianna Somerset is a gossip columnist who was burned big time by her rake of a husband (now dead) so when she gets set to take down Lord Simon Roxbury (a charming love ‘em and leave ‘em rake and a nice piece of eye candy to boot) she’s in for quite a ride. As for the hero, he’ll do whatever he can to stop her. All along the way they trade quips, banter and some very good slicing/go for the jugular word play. It’s not Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels but it’s on the outskirts which is a far cry from a lot of authors who try to do this theme and have both the h/h loving each other in a sickly sweet way after 30 pages. So yes, it’s well done.
The story is fast-paced and written with a very British regency feel to it which is refreshing seeing as more and more authors forget about the tone of their book which takes away from the historical feel. There’s some action too and a side story about another gossip columnist (a rival who happens to be man --maybe) but it never detracts from the love story. My only complaint is that the steam scenes were few and far between and very brief. I felt a bit short-changed what with all the tension building throughout but because that was well-done, and I really wanted to keep reading, it’s still worth 4 stars.
Rondale's writing reminds me a little of Suzanne Enoch and Olivia Parker. Actually if you liked Olivia Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball with the Bachelor theme you’ll like this one because it reads like Gossip Girl, all that was missing at the end of the column entries was the “xo xo, Gossip Girl” (lol!)
Rondale is a new author for me. I may just have to keep an eye on her ;-)
Lady Julianna Somerset is a gossip columnist who was burned big time by her rake of a husband (now dead) so when she gets set to take down Lord Simon Roxbury (a charming love ‘em and leave ‘em rake and a nice piece of eye candy to boot) she’s in for quite a ride. As for the hero, he’ll do whatever he can to stop her. All along the way they trade quips, banter and some very good slicing/go for the jugular word play. It’s not Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels but it’s on the outskirts which is a far cry from a lot of authors who try to do this theme and have both the h/h loving each other in a sickly sweet way after 30 pages. So yes, it’s well done.
The story is fast-paced and written with a very British regency feel to it which is refreshing seeing as more and more authors forget about the tone of their book which takes away from the historical feel. There’s some action too and a side story about another gossip columnist (a rival who happens to be man --maybe) but it never detracts from the love story. My only complaint is that the steam scenes were few and far between and very brief. I felt a bit short-changed what with all the tension building throughout but because that was well-done, and I really wanted to keep reading, it’s still worth 4 stars.
Rondale's writing reminds me a little of Suzanne Enoch and Olivia Parker. Actually if you liked Olivia Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball with the Bachelor theme you’ll like this one because it reads like Gossip Girl, all that was missing at the end of the column entries was the “xo xo, Gossip Girl” (lol!)
Rondale is a new author for me. I may just have to keep an eye on her ;-)
May 12, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.mayarodale.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Writing Girl
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot
This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way. Simon is what I like to call, a man-ho. He loves women — their taste, their smell, the touch of their skin, and one thing that sets him apart from other rakes is that he doesn’t make the mistake of thinking that women are all interchangeable. Instead, he enjoys falling in love. Over and over and over. For about a week or two at a time.
Julianna made the mistake of falling in love with a rake when she was 17, and even though he loved her as well, their love didn’t last and he went back to his promiscuous and scandalous ways. When he was killed trying to manage his drink, a prostitute, and a carriage (all at the same time), Julianna was left almost penniless because her horrible husband left the majority of his estate to previous mistresses and the illegitimate children he’d fathered by them. Julianna has turned to writing as not only a way to make money, but also a way to earn her own self-respect.
This book had a lot of what I like to call “exterior angst”, where things like societal opinions and familial ultimatums create most of the stress. There was Simon’s fall from grace, the revenge scandal he visited upon Julianna, his reasons for marrying, and Julianna’s employment issues which caused most of the trouble for these two, and yet in the end, the real issue was whether Simon could remain faithful, and whether Julianna could risk her heart with someone proven to be fickle.
Above all, though, this book was fun. The things repercussions of their ruined reputations aside, the banter and little revenge plots between Simon and Julianna were immensely entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall for each other. I still wish there’d been an epilogue so that we could see that Simon was really and truly faithful to her, but even so, 4/5 Stars.
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.mayarodale.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Writing Girl
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot
This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way. Simon is what I like to call, a man-ho. He loves women — their taste, their smell, the touch of their skin, and one thing that sets him apart from other rakes is that he doesn’t make the mistake of thinking that women are all interchangeable. Instead, he enjoys falling in love. Over and over and over. For about a week or two at a time.
Julianna made the mistake of falling in love with a rake when she was 17, and even though he loved her as well, their love didn’t last and he went back to his promiscuous and scandalous ways. When he was killed trying to manage his drink, a prostitute, and a carriage (all at the same time), Julianna was left almost penniless because her horrible husband left the majority of his estate to previous mistresses and the illegitimate children he’d fathered by them. Julianna has turned to writing as not only a way to make money, but also a way to earn her own self-respect.
This book had a lot of what I like to call “exterior angst”, where things like societal opinions and familial ultimatums create most of the stress. There was Simon’s fall from grace, the revenge scandal he visited upon Julianna, his reasons for marrying, and Julianna’s employment issues which caused most of the trouble for these two, and yet in the end, the real issue was whether Simon could remain faithful, and whether Julianna could risk her heart with someone proven to be fickle.
Above all, though, this book was fun. The things repercussions of their ruined reputations aside, the banter and little revenge plots between Simon and Julianna were immensely entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall for each other. I still wish there’d been an epilogue so that we could see that Simon was really and truly faithful to her, but even so, 4/5 Stars.
November 23, 2018
1.5 stars
The rakish Lord Roxbury is a godsend to someone like Lady Julianna Somerset, gossip columnist for The London Weekly. And when Julianna spies Roxbury in a scandalous position with someone in men’s clothing…well, she’s sure she has the scoop of a lifetime! Only Roxbury doesn’t quite see it that way and he doesn’t take kindly to the lies the mysterious “Lady of Distinction” has written about him, particularly when his reputation is shredded and chances of marriage are ruined because of it. It’s not long before Roxbury and Julianna’s battle becomes public and all of London is agog. With both Julianna and Roxbury teetering on the ledge of complete ruination, there’s only one solution: the scandalous pair will wed. It’s supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but love and desire have a funny way of bringing together even the most reticent spouses.
Gossip and scandal pile up faster than a modern-day celebrity rumor-mill in A Tale of Two Lovers . Maya Rodale’s unique Writing Girls falters in its second installment, dragged down, as it were, by an incredibly unlikeable heroine. For the first third of A Tale of Two Lovers I attempted to find something to like about Julianna. After that, I simply tried (and failed) not to hate her. Julianna wears emotional scars thanks to her first husband, a vice-ridden rake. Because of this, and her eagerness to beat another gossip columnist, Were this in another story, Julianna would be a halfway-decent villain. I don’t catalogue Julianna’s faults to belabor the point, but rather to explain why I was so disappointed in A Tale of Two Lovers . Perhaps what irritated me about her will not bother other readers. Roxbury, on the other hand, is a perfectly likeable hero. He’s amiable, sensual, and when he makes mistakes, he owns up to them. The only thing I didn’t entirely understand was why he fell in love with Julianna.
Roxbury and the cast of secondary characters bring charm to A Tale of Two Lovers . It was nice to revisit Sophie and Brandon (of the first Writing Girls book, A Groom of One’s Own), but what delighted me the most was the glimpses of the other two Writing Girls, Eliza and Annabelle, and the men I sincerely hope will be their heroes. Though A Tale of Two Lovers was not the story for me, I still liked Roxbury and the supporting characters enough that I am looking forward to Eliza and Annabelle’s books.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
The rakish Lord Roxbury is a godsend to someone like Lady Julianna Somerset, gossip columnist for The London Weekly. And when Julianna spies Roxbury in a scandalous position with someone in men’s clothing…well, she’s sure she has the scoop of a lifetime! Only Roxbury doesn’t quite see it that way and he doesn’t take kindly to the lies the mysterious “Lady of Distinction” has written about him, particularly when his reputation is shredded and chances of marriage are ruined because of it. It’s not long before Roxbury and Julianna’s battle becomes public and all of London is agog. With both Julianna and Roxbury teetering on the ledge of complete ruination, there’s only one solution: the scandalous pair will wed. It’s supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but love and desire have a funny way of bringing together even the most reticent spouses.
Gossip and scandal pile up faster than a modern-day celebrity rumor-mill in A Tale of Two Lovers . Maya Rodale’s unique Writing Girls falters in its second installment, dragged down, as it were, by an incredibly unlikeable heroine. For the first third of A Tale of Two Lovers I attempted to find something to like about Julianna. After that, I simply tried (and failed) not to hate her. Julianna wears emotional scars thanks to her first husband, a vice-ridden rake. Because of this, and her eagerness to beat another gossip columnist, Were this in another story, Julianna would be a halfway-decent villain. I don’t catalogue Julianna’s faults to belabor the point, but rather to explain why I was so disappointed in A Tale of Two Lovers . Perhaps what irritated me about her will not bother other readers. Roxbury, on the other hand, is a perfectly likeable hero. He’s amiable, sensual, and when he makes mistakes, he owns up to them. The only thing I didn’t entirely understand was why he fell in love with Julianna.
Roxbury and the cast of secondary characters bring charm to A Tale of Two Lovers . It was nice to revisit Sophie and Brandon (of the first Writing Girls book, A Groom of One’s Own), but what delighted me the most was the glimpses of the other two Writing Girls, Eliza and Annabelle, and the men I sincerely hope will be their heroes. Though A Tale of Two Lovers was not the story for me, I still liked Roxbury and the supporting characters enough that I am looking forward to Eliza and Annabelle’s books.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Read
September 6, 2011A girl with a gun
A charming, singing scoundrel
One cracking good tale!
A charming, singing scoundrel
One cracking good tale!
May 11, 2013
"You are stubborn, maddening, illogical and infuriating," Roxbury grumbled.
"I am a Lady," Julianna retorted, as she stepped behind a voluminous potted fern.
"Exactly.That's what I said," he said, following her. She gasped. He grinned.
Julianna is one of the four writing girls, and she is well known as the "Lady of Distinction" and she writes on all the latest scandals, to keep up with their rival. Julianna has worked hard to build up her section and have many resources at her disposal. One night at the Opera, she spies Lord Roxbury in what would be the most popular scandal if she were to report it. So Julianna, not going to let this opportunity pass her by, announces what she has seen, and is has top rank among all the scandals, only she has no idea that this scandal would in the end change her life forever. Simon has no intention of settling down, he is more than content with his women and drinking, he has no issues with the way his life is going, until his father brings to him a ultimatum of the worst sort; get married or have no money at all and be poor? So Simon assuming that any woman would have him, thinks of this as no big deal. Well right after his father gives him this choice, the scandal of the year, that tops all scandals is about him, and no woman or man gives him the time of day apart from his closest friends. Now he is a world of trouble, because he has one week to find a wife. Well when he learns the identity of the woman that reported this scandal, he is out for retribution. Before Julianna knows it, she herself is embroiled into a scandal of her own, and she has no choice but to marry Simon or face the consequences, but what she doesn't expect is her distrust in this unlikeable man turn into a affair of the heart.
After falling in love with the first in the series "A Groom of One's Own" I was so excited to read Julianna's story. This series is about four women that write together for a newspaper and each book is their story. Now I have recently fallen in love with this author, and so I was really looking forward to reading more of her work. Now it was not my favorite, I think I enjoyed the first one a lot more, but Tale of Two Lovers was a very enjoyable read and there were many things I liked about it.
We begin with Julianna out on the town, looking for a new delicious scandal, to bring her ahead of her rival "Man About Town". Julianna then finds a shocking scandal, and can hardly wait to report it. So when we see this scandal (even I was surprised and a bit shocked but we find out the truth eventually but expect the unexpected in this story.) When she reports it, she expects her life to keep going great and getting better, only her life starts a spiral downward. Now Julianna at first seems a bit shallow being a reporter on scandal and all. We start to see more depth to her as you continue forward in the story. Then we turn to Simon, who is one of the top rakes, loves women, has had countless mistresses and affairs (more than anyone should ever have), and when his father hands him this ultimatum he is more than shocked and angry. However when the scandal reaches his ears, and everyone looks at him like he is a bug to stamp on, he knows that his life has been changed forever. So he vows on revenge, now I was kinda on his side at this point. And boy did I love the come back he did against Julianna, and it definitely had my laughing to the point I couldn't breathe. So if you want a good laugh, just read this story, it will crack you up to tears. There is a strong hate/love relationship we see develop here. They both despise each other in the beginning and the middle, but towards the end is where it really gets good.
Now I think I fell in love with Roxbury from the beginning, he is your average alpha male type rake, but he is very amiable and passionate and I love how he doesn't hide from his mistakes and doesn't blame it on others. He takes it all in stride, and I couldn't help but admire him for that. I found him to be way more noble than Julianna. Now Julianna, I really wanted to like her and I tried hard to, but there were so many things I didn't like about her, until the end. She seemed so, too proud and greedy at times. I understand her background and bad experience with men, but it just got on my nerves to the point I wanted to shake some sense into her. Don't get me wrong I didn't hate her, I just didn't like her. She seemed to me to have this superior attitude at times, and even though the second half of the book she slowly mellows down a bit, so I grew to like her a bit better, but overall she just didn't reach to me all that well.
Overall it was a good and solid read, and there were things I liked and things I didn't like too much. I felt like there was enough plot and tension and sensuality to be a strong book. I also liked how we see the secondary characters and their involvement in the story, and there were a few scenes that definitely won my heart over. There was charm and wit and a sense of playfulness to the story line that only added to the wickedly enticing story. There was some extreme measures put in play here, that I just soaked up toward the end. Even though there were a few things I didn't like, I felt like this was such a enthralling read, that just draws you in like a magnet, and I couldn't help but find a story that sent shivers down my spine and enough sizzling tension to curl your whole body.
"I am a Lady," Julianna retorted, as she stepped behind a voluminous potted fern.
"Exactly.That's what I said," he said, following her. She gasped. He grinned.
Julianna is one of the four writing girls, and she is well known as the "Lady of Distinction" and she writes on all the latest scandals, to keep up with their rival. Julianna has worked hard to build up her section and have many resources at her disposal. One night at the Opera, she spies Lord Roxbury in what would be the most popular scandal if she were to report it. So Julianna, not going to let this opportunity pass her by, announces what she has seen, and is has top rank among all the scandals, only she has no idea that this scandal would in the end change her life forever. Simon has no intention of settling down, he is more than content with his women and drinking, he has no issues with the way his life is going, until his father brings to him a ultimatum of the worst sort; get married or have no money at all and be poor? So Simon assuming that any woman would have him, thinks of this as no big deal. Well right after his father gives him this choice, the scandal of the year, that tops all scandals is about him, and no woman or man gives him the time of day apart from his closest friends. Now he is a world of trouble, because he has one week to find a wife. Well when he learns the identity of the woman that reported this scandal, he is out for retribution. Before Julianna knows it, she herself is embroiled into a scandal of her own, and she has no choice but to marry Simon or face the consequences, but what she doesn't expect is her distrust in this unlikeable man turn into a affair of the heart.
After falling in love with the first in the series "A Groom of One's Own" I was so excited to read Julianna's story. This series is about four women that write together for a newspaper and each book is their story. Now I have recently fallen in love with this author, and so I was really looking forward to reading more of her work. Now it was not my favorite, I think I enjoyed the first one a lot more, but Tale of Two Lovers was a very enjoyable read and there were many things I liked about it.
We begin with Julianna out on the town, looking for a new delicious scandal, to bring her ahead of her rival "Man About Town". Julianna then finds a shocking scandal, and can hardly wait to report it. So when we see this scandal (even I was surprised and a bit shocked but we find out the truth eventually but expect the unexpected in this story.) When she reports it, she expects her life to keep going great and getting better, only her life starts a spiral downward. Now Julianna at first seems a bit shallow being a reporter on scandal and all. We start to see more depth to her as you continue forward in the story. Then we turn to Simon, who is one of the top rakes, loves women, has had countless mistresses and affairs (more than anyone should ever have), and when his father hands him this ultimatum he is more than shocked and angry. However when the scandal reaches his ears, and everyone looks at him like he is a bug to stamp on, he knows that his life has been changed forever. So he vows on revenge, now I was kinda on his side at this point. And boy did I love the come back he did against Julianna, and it definitely had my laughing to the point I couldn't breathe. So if you want a good laugh, just read this story, it will crack you up to tears. There is a strong hate/love relationship we see develop here. They both despise each other in the beginning and the middle, but towards the end is where it really gets good.
Now I think I fell in love with Roxbury from the beginning, he is your average alpha male type rake, but he is very amiable and passionate and I love how he doesn't hide from his mistakes and doesn't blame it on others. He takes it all in stride, and I couldn't help but admire him for that. I found him to be way more noble than Julianna. Now Julianna, I really wanted to like her and I tried hard to, but there were so many things I didn't like about her, until the end. She seemed so, too proud and greedy at times. I understand her background and bad experience with men, but it just got on my nerves to the point I wanted to shake some sense into her. Don't get me wrong I didn't hate her, I just didn't like her. She seemed to me to have this superior attitude at times, and even though the second half of the book she slowly mellows down a bit, so I grew to like her a bit better, but overall she just didn't reach to me all that well.
Overall it was a good and solid read, and there were things I liked and things I didn't like too much. I felt like there was enough plot and tension and sensuality to be a strong book. I also liked how we see the secondary characters and their involvement in the story, and there were a few scenes that definitely won my heart over. There was charm and wit and a sense of playfulness to the story line that only added to the wickedly enticing story. There was some extreme measures put in play here, that I just soaked up toward the end. Even though there were a few things I didn't like, I felt like this was such a enthralling read, that just draws you in like a magnet, and I couldn't help but find a story that sent shivers down my spine and enough sizzling tension to curl your whole body.
April 22, 2018
3.5 Stars
Cute, very enjoyable, with a good dose of swoony & some great humor.
Just what I expected and felt for
Cute, very enjoyable, with a good dose of swoony & some great humor.
Just what I expected and felt for
September 8, 2011
Strong heroine, alpha hero and they hate each other right off the bat because she’s spreading a nice tidbit of gossip about him ---something I haven’t seen yet in a straight up historical so I was VERY surprised at how well the scene that fuels the rumor was done.
Lady Julianna Somerset is a gossip columnist who was burned big time by her rake of a husband (now dead) so when she gets set to take down Lord Simon Roxbury (a charming love ‘em and leave ‘em rake and a nice piece of eye candy to boot) she’s in for quite a ride. As for the hero, he’ll do whatever he can to stop her. All along the way they trade quips, banter and some very good slicing/go for the jugular word play. It’s not Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels but it’s on the outskirts which is a far cry from a lot of authors who try to do this theme and have both the h/h loving each other in a sickly sweet way after 30 pages. So yes it’s well done.
The story is fast paced and written with a very British regency feel to it which is refreshing seeing as more and more authors forget about the tone of their book which takes away from the historical feel. There’s some action too and a side story about another gossip columnist (a rival who happens to be man --maybe) but it never detracts from the love story. My only complaint is that the steam scenes were few and far between and very brief. I felt a bit short-charged what with all the tension building throughout but because that was well-done, and I really wanted to keep reading, it’s still worth 4 stars.
Her writing reminds me a little of Suzanne Enoch and Olivia Parker --not quite as good but in the vicinity. Actually if you liked Olivia Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball with the Bachelor theme you’ll like this one because it reads like Gossip Girl all that was missing at the end of the column entries was the “xo xo, Gossip Girl” (lol!)
Rodale is a new author for me. I may just have to keep an eye on her ;-)
Lady Julianna Somerset is a gossip columnist who was burned big time by her rake of a husband (now dead) so when she gets set to take down Lord Simon Roxbury (a charming love ‘em and leave ‘em rake and a nice piece of eye candy to boot) she’s in for quite a ride. As for the hero, he’ll do whatever he can to stop her. All along the way they trade quips, banter and some very good slicing/go for the jugular word play. It’s not Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels but it’s on the outskirts which is a far cry from a lot of authors who try to do this theme and have both the h/h loving each other in a sickly sweet way after 30 pages. So yes it’s well done.
The story is fast paced and written with a very British regency feel to it which is refreshing seeing as more and more authors forget about the tone of their book which takes away from the historical feel. There’s some action too and a side story about another gossip columnist (a rival who happens to be man --maybe) but it never detracts from the love story. My only complaint is that the steam scenes were few and far between and very brief. I felt a bit short-charged what with all the tension building throughout but because that was well-done, and I really wanted to keep reading, it’s still worth 4 stars.
Her writing reminds me a little of Suzanne Enoch and Olivia Parker --not quite as good but in the vicinity. Actually if you liked Olivia Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball with the Bachelor theme you’ll like this one because it reads like Gossip Girl all that was missing at the end of the column entries was the “xo xo, Gossip Girl” (lol!)
Rodale is a new author for me. I may just have to keep an eye on her ;-)
October 26, 2012
A romance where the main characters get married in the middle (instead of the end)?!? Tell me more, my friend. This is the second in a series and I highly recommend reading these in order. Not so much because you'll miss anything as that the first is a touch better book and will give you everything you need to know about how this author handles the near-Regency period.
This book is more of the same, and I mean that in a good way. Consistent, well-fleshed-out characters. A consistent, if not exactly historically accurate, setting. A good story. And a romance with characters who fit well with both their differences and similarities.
I do want to register one rant, however. Feel free to skip to the next paragraph. There is/was no such place as “Gentleman Jack's”. The actual person was Gentleman Jackson and his establishment was Jackson's Saloon, so it's not like I didn't know what the author meant (and since that was the only boxing studio that serviced the gentry in that day, it pretty much has to be what Rodale was aiming for). Calling it Gentleman Jack's is just sloppy. Seriously, an editor should have picked up on this if the author didn't know any better. And who doesn't know you can look things like this up in Wikipedia?
Anyway, I liked Julianna and her tussles with Roxbury were highly entertaining. She has a rocky journey in this book and it was great fun to ride along.
A note about Steamy: I forget if there were two explicit scenes or just one. At any rate, I'd put the steam level at my personal “medium”.
This book is more of the same, and I mean that in a good way. Consistent, well-fleshed-out characters. A consistent, if not exactly historically accurate, setting. A good story. And a romance with characters who fit well with both their differences and similarities.
I do want to register one rant, however. Feel free to skip to the next paragraph. There is/was no such place as “Gentleman Jack's”. The actual person was Gentleman Jackson and his establishment was Jackson's Saloon, so it's not like I didn't know what the author meant (and since that was the only boxing studio that serviced the gentry in that day, it pretty much has to be what Rodale was aiming for). Calling it Gentleman Jack's is just sloppy. Seriously, an editor should have picked up on this if the author didn't know any better. And who doesn't know you can look things like this up in Wikipedia?
Anyway, I liked Julianna and her tussles with Roxbury were highly entertaining. She has a rocky journey in this book and it was great fun to ride along.
A note about Steamy: I forget if there were two explicit scenes or just one. At any rate, I'd put the steam level at my personal “medium”.
November 5, 2018
Reread. Despite the hero being a huge manwhore I really enjoyed this book. You definitely see the hero fall in love and want to change. It doesn’t excuse his behavior but I don’t mind it as much. It also helps that the heroine wasn’t some insipid virgin but a “spitfire” and “terrifying” widow.
March 4, 2014
Nicely written Regency novel with an enemies to lovers, redeeming the rake themes. Medium heat level. An enjoyable read.
3.5 - 4 stars
3.5 - 4 stars
October 23, 2022
I made it to 16%
Julianna is so worried about someone dying from the duel, and later says that writing gossip is not a hanging offense. But she is completely ignoring that being gay Was a hanging offense and her attempt to out him (even though it was an actress in her men's costume) could very easily lead to his death. I couldn't have sympathy with her.
I didn't like Roxbury really either. The potential for a bisexual lead was novel, but that wasn't the case.
The scary - sexy combo wasn't something that worked for me. Sometimes enemies to lovers can be good, but only when its a process. I do not want to read characters who hate-fuck their enemy while still hating them.
Julianna is so worried about someone dying from the duel, and later says that writing gossip is not a hanging offense. But she is completely ignoring that being gay Was a hanging offense and her attempt to out him (even though it was an actress in her men's costume) could very easily lead to his death. I couldn't have sympathy with her.
I didn't like Roxbury really either. The potential for a bisexual lead was novel, but that wasn't the case.
The scary - sexy combo wasn't something that worked for me. Sometimes enemies to lovers can be good, but only when its a process. I do not want to read characters who hate-fuck their enemy while still hating them.
February 27, 2021
The story of Lady Julianna, who is the writer of the "A Lady of Distinction" gossip column, and Lord Simon Roxbury, an unrepentant rake who is one of her favorite subjects.
Her latest column causes a huge scandal for Simon, whose father demands that he gets married or lose his allowance. He visits the newspaper to demand they retract the article, and that's how the two of them meet.
There are sparks between them since their first meeting, but neither is willing to back down from their chosen paths, so they clash again and again, making things worse for both of them.
I did not particularly care for either of them, and although Simon's character gradually improves, Julianna didn't seem to learn anything from her experiences since .
The series continues with The Tattooed Duke and another undercover writing girl's story.
Her latest column causes a huge scandal for Simon, whose father demands that he gets married or lose his allowance. He visits the newspaper to demand they retract the article, and that's how the two of them meet.
There are sparks between them since their first meeting, but neither is willing to back down from their chosen paths, so they clash again and again, making things worse for both of them.
I did not particularly care for either of them, and although Simon's character gradually improves, Julianna didn't seem to learn anything from her experiences since .
The series continues with The Tattooed Duke and another undercover writing girl's story.
January 5, 2020
2 stars - Historical Romance
April 18, 2018
Ok. So. I “finished” the book. I skipped ahead and read the ending just to say I had.
I liked the ending much better than the start.
I liked the ending much better than the start.
April 2, 2020
Good pass time .nothing more or less
April 10, 2026
Pages Survived: 290
This book is a great big ball of NOPE. Seriously, literally, and honestly, I'm a tad baffled at the utter oh-humanity-why failings Maya Rodale achieved in the entirety of A Tale Of Two Lovers. And, I can say, with absolute certainty, confidence, and "Bitch, I ain't lying!" this book was a bomb-face; when one is only 80 pages away from completing a book, and it's a Wall Banger, you can trust that it sucks.
So, here's the low-down; there's this chick, there's this dude, shenanigans and misunderstandings pop out all over themselves, they get married...and some other crap happens. That, in one very specific nutshell, is the entirety of the frakkin' plot. Abso-friggin-lutely, I'm not lying. I'm roughly sixty seven percent sure Rodale did zip-zap-zero outlining with this story, because if she had then she'd have quickly realized there is truly no driving element to the novel. Instead, Julianna and What's His Face are constantly thrown together like atoms in a large Hadron Collider, and stuff "subsequently" ensues.
If abhorrently terrible scene progression with no story drive isn't enough to prompt immediate throat-slitting via dead-tree-book paper cuts, then surely to Yoda's chin-hair the unbelievably dry-dead-dead-dead characters must be, they must! Julianna literally has zero personality, while So Unimpressive Hero I Can't Even Recall His Name-guy barely registered as sawdust. While I found Julianna to be weak as a character (her motivations are told, not shown, she has zero focus on other life activities outside her article, and she comes off as raw Salmon even in the presence of her supposed close friends!) in comparison to the Hero Dude, she's practically Heidi Fleiss or Mother Teresa. Male Lead never once demonstrates identity, personality, or even effing character expression!
*Breathes* Okay, sorry for that rant; I know it was painful. Alas, I digress; let's recap. No plot, bad characters...what else we got? Well, those issues are Mommy and Daddy, with their offspring quickly being bored, boredom, Boredom City, boring, and kill-me-now bore! The book's pacing moves like a decapitated snail recovering from an Opium addiction, but that's not even the worst part, oh no! The bad story progression, lackluster characters, and absent plot, I could handle...if the romance was hot. Alas, ladies and ladies...here exists a romance novel with no romance!
No, no, you read that correctly, rest assured; A Tale of Two Lovers should be retitled to A Meandering Collection Of Words With No Lovers. Julianna and Him were the most painfully awkward, painfully painful couple I've ever read about, and that's saying something since I'm a card-carrying Edward-Bella hater. Stalin and Hitler had a more passionate love-nest reality than these two leads. I never once felt a spark of intimacy, a suggestion of interest, even a flare of "Hey, you with the face!" Julianna and her dude had no chemistry whatsoever of which to speak, and what supposed fire they did have, I wasn't buying. When Male Hero was all, "Hey, I love her!" by page 200-something, I was done; they knew virtually nothing about each other, and thus his realization was rushed, and without reason. I had to physically restrain myself from punching the words on page.
(You're telling me!)
June 25, 2011
Lady Julianna Somerset has worked hard after her husbands scandalous death to make her name proper and she has succeeded for the most part. Julianna reports on gossip and is the mysterious Lady of Distinction and one of her most reported on persons is the notorious rake, Lord Simon Roxsbury. Just after Simon is dealt an ultimatum from his father, Julianna reports a bit of gossip that makes Simons life much more difficult. In return to this nosy, attractive woman, Simon does something that makes Julianna the subject of untrue gossip and it puts her job in jeopardy. So what are two people surrounded by untrue gossip to do? The notorious rake and the scandalous lady wed in order to become respectable.
Watching the sparks fly between these two was quite fun! Even though Simon was a rake to top all rakes, once he meets Julianna she consumes his thoughts and there is no one else. Julianna is most hesitant about marriage to Simon as her first husband was a horrible rake and treated her shabbily and she does not think her heart can stand another heartbreak like that. Oh but when Simon decides to seduce his wife, sigh...very sweet, fun (boxing!) and hot! There is a bit of a mystery involving a rival gossip columnist, The Man About Town, that adds a little action near the end and sets up the next lead, I believe, for the next book. Even though this is book two, following A Groom of One's Own, this could be read as a stand alone. Another enjoyable, easy, fun, sexy read from Maya Rodale. 4 stars
Watching the sparks fly between these two was quite fun! Even though Simon was a rake to top all rakes, once he meets Julianna she consumes his thoughts and there is no one else. Julianna is most hesitant about marriage to Simon as her first husband was a horrible rake and treated her shabbily and she does not think her heart can stand another heartbreak like that. Oh but when Simon decides to seduce his wife, sigh...very sweet, fun (boxing!) and hot! There is a bit of a mystery involving a rival gossip columnist, The Man About Town, that adds a little action near the end and sets up the next lead, I believe, for the next book. Even though this is book two, following A Groom of One's Own, this could be read as a stand alone. Another enjoyable, easy, fun, sexy read from Maya Rodale. 4 stars
June 29, 2016
This is far from a perfect book. A bit anachronistic at times. The plot can be a bit far-fetched at times, with a few events not really believalbe.The timeline was slightly fudged once or twice, with way too many events occurring in the given time slot .
However in terms of enjoyment and fun, this book succeeded well in making me smile over and over at both leads antics and their unforeseen repercussions building and building higher every day.
However in terms of enjoyment and fun, this book succeeded well in making me smile over and over at both leads antics and their unforeseen repercussions building and building higher every day.
May 8, 2011
Hm....I liked this book.
I am giving it only 3 stars because of all that unused chemistry! The hero and heroine made me pant with the need for them to come together but there was only one scene in which they do! And it was very mild. Also the hero in the beginning talked about brats. But we never get to know if they now wanted children or not. So, some of the things were underdeveloped and that stopped me from really investing myself in the characters.
Even so,this was an interesting read. The way he parked in front of her house in order to ruin her was a breath of fresh air,and this is very rare in HR.
I am giving it only 3 stars because of all that unused chemistry! The hero and heroine made me pant with the need for them to come together but there was only one scene in which they do! And it was very mild. Also the hero in the beginning talked about brats. But we never get to know if they now wanted children or not. So, some of the things were underdeveloped and that stopped me from really investing myself in the characters.
Even so,this was an interesting read. The way he parked in front of her house in order to ruin her was a breath of fresh air,and this is very rare in HR.
July 4, 2018
I reread this, and still, I love it so much! The characters are so entertaining and definitely not nice and perfect, but fun for me to watch just the same. I really appreciate this book, and love the banter between the characters and the way the hero just accepts the heroine, while she holds onto her pride, but finds herself charmed by him. They are wonderful together.
May 18, 2015
5 stars. I loved it. I loved the humor between the H and the h. They were so perfect for each other. And, I enjoyed the mystery surrounding The Man About Town. This was just a great story and I really enjoyed reading it.
February 15, 2022
Had a lot of issues with the first half of this book (particularly the problematic old-school homophobia), but loved the second half. Really a *true* enemies to lovers tale.
update: Enjoyed the reread on audio.
update: Enjoyed the reread on audio.
January 12, 2018
I enjoyed this one. I love historical romances and this one was no exception.
Review soon maybe even a giveaway!
Review soon maybe even a giveaway!
May 24, 2015
3.5/5
June 30, 2020
It's probably my first time reading this author and definitely not the last!
Filled with witty conversations, strong characters and enough suspense to keep one riveted to the book.
Filled with witty conversations, strong characters and enough suspense to keep one riveted to the book.
February 7, 2017
3.5 Stars
February 25, 2023
2 stars is a generous rating. This story definitely paints journalists in a hateful, immoral light. Yikes. Julianna is a shrew who seems to hate Roxbury at first for no reason…writing a story that suggests he’s gay. She realizes it’s wrong but refuses to make a retraction. What I don’t understand is that her boss doesn’t fire her, but participates in a duel…he knows that they published lies for paper sales but upholds the lie. When her rivaling paper reveals it’s not true..she still refuses the retraction…and can’t seem to understand why Roxbury is upset even though she watches his loss of social standing from her lies…later she dresses as a man and Roxbury realizes it but doesn’t out her (he irritatingly only keeps looking at her like a lascivious fool…and that’s all he thinks about??) she writes another column suggesting he likes young men, his cousin so that she paints him as incestuous, pedophiliac, homosexual….in regency England. At this point she’s angry because he suggests he isn’t interested in her and that she’s bitter (which she admitted that she is)…so what is to like? These people do not have fun romantic banter. She’s only interested in harming him socially…neither has no moral compass…even for todays more relaxed moral standards they are vile creatures.
May 17, 2014
Audio Version:
Narrator: Carolyn Morris - 5 stars for her narration only.
Lady Julianna Somerset is the widow to a notorious rake who not only broke her heart but left her destitute. To support herself, she becomes 1/4 of The London Weekly's Writing Girls, writing a gossip column under pen name A Lady of Distinction, unbeknownst to her peers; although much speculated.
When I first met her in Sophie's story, I initially liked her. However as the story progressed, I liked her less and less; mostly because of her scathing remarks regarding Sophie's situation. By the end, I'd decided to go into her story with an open mind. Moving on...
Lady Julianna is looking for a scandalous story to out-wit her rival "The Man Around Town." She comes upon a delicious, scandalous scene involving one of her most favorite subject matters, Lord Simon Roxbury, a devilish rake whom she has no love for. This is just the story she needs to trounce her rival and her story is a success, much to her delight. What she didn't count on was the impact to Lord R's reputation and livelihood.
Enter our hero, Lord Roxbury; a rake who enjoys and loves women and has no intention to marry. He is often mentioned in Julianna's gossip column much to his dismay. When his father summons him to lay down an ultimatum, marry within the month or be cut off, he is shocked and furious. He entertains thwarting his father but knows that he must marry to continue his lifestyle. Unfortunately, due to the rubbish in A Lady of Distinction's gossip column; finding someone to accept him is nearly impossible. He intends to set the record straight.
Lord R. storms into The London Weekly demanding an audience with Mr. Knightly to explain the scene that started this mess. Fortunately for him, the author is in Knightly's office when he bursts in. Hoping to convince her to retract the story, he explains the scene that she witnessed. Julianna refuses to even validate his story, let alone retract or apologize. This decision not only cements his ruin but results in someone close to her being wounded. Despite feeling remorse and sympathy for Lord R's situation, she won't back down.
Then when The Man Around Town publishes the truth (thanks to the second participant in the scandalous scene Lady Julianna witnessed), Lady Julianna's credibility is questioned which could compromise her position @ The London Weekly. She comes up with a plan to infiltrate a Gentleman's club in disguise to up the ante and out-wit her rival. Naturally Lord R. notices her yet he does not expose her secret, he actually helps her and is the perfect gentleman despite her ruining his reputation and any marriage prospects. They actually part on a good note.
Sounds interesting right? Unfortunately, this is where the story takes a strong left for me....
How does she repay his kindness? By writing a column fueling the fire to the lies in her original column, despite that they are obvious lies. I was furious when she refused to validate his claim but to continued to publish untruths just for the sake of sales and notoriety pushed me over the edge. I liked Lord R but at this point, I expected him to use his trump card and expose Julianna as The Lady of Distinction, He does not, but he does ruin her to an extent. Her ruination = no parties or social events which = no juicy gossip for The London Weekly which = a precarious position for her column.
She had the audacity to be upset because he ruined her and he was stupid enough to feel remorse [Insert Face-palm]. He had no plans to offer for her but soon realizes that the only way for both of them to become respectable is to marry each other which will also satisfy his father's ultimatum. She puts up a fight but soon see's the logic in his plan. They marry and the drama continues which made me like her less and less.
The ton is wary and speculates that this is not a normal marriage. The nitwit aka Julianna decides that she'll still support herself and live in her town-house without her brand new hubby. He reminds her that it will only add to the gossip so she reluctantly agrees to live with him, temporarily of course.
They continue with their circus of a marriage and It's easy for the reader to deduce that he is falling in love with her. At this point despite liking Lord R, my eyebrows are creased in puzzlement. I was ready to throttle him for his stupidity. Julianna misses being independent and writing. Surprisingly enough, We see them become closer, more like a couple who is courting (at this point, there's no intimacy). Then when an intruder breaks into their home, they finally become man and wife in truth. They continue to become closer. Lord R wants to help her find the identity of her bitter rival so he concocts a plan to draw the man out at a ball. Julianna doesn't like secrets so because he did not confide in her, she feels betrayed. So much so, she moves out while he is still asleep. Of course, Lord R feels that he was wrong [Insert WTF].
I won't go on. Julianna was one of the most unlikable heroins I've ever encountered. She was a shrew and stubborn beyond reason. I could not get over her lies and ruining a mans life all because of her ambitions. Lord R while likable was too accommodating and quick to forget the wrongs that she has imposed on him. I was so ready get to the end of this book. It was a frustrating read and if I didn't believe in reading each book in a series, I would have stopped after she repaid his kindness with more insinuations.
The secondary characters were not that great, we catch up with the other Writing Girls but that's about it. Another thing that cooked my goose, I was expecting for The Man Around Town to be someone whom we knew, instead he's a nobody. There was potential for this book but Julianna was entirely too stubborn and never fully redeems herself in my eyes. In general I liked Lord R but he was a doormat for Julianna and therefore he was not enough to redeem this story. I simply couldn't stand her. 1.5 read/listen for me.
Narrator: Carolyn Morris - 5 stars for her narration only.
Lady Julianna Somerset is the widow to a notorious rake who not only broke her heart but left her destitute. To support herself, she becomes 1/4 of The London Weekly's Writing Girls, writing a gossip column under pen name A Lady of Distinction, unbeknownst to her peers; although much speculated.
When I first met her in Sophie's story, I initially liked her. However as the story progressed, I liked her less and less; mostly because of her scathing remarks regarding Sophie's situation. By the end, I'd decided to go into her story with an open mind. Moving on...
Lady Julianna is looking for a scandalous story to out-wit her rival "The Man Around Town." She comes upon a delicious, scandalous scene involving one of her most favorite subject matters, Lord Simon Roxbury, a devilish rake whom she has no love for. This is just the story she needs to trounce her rival and her story is a success, much to her delight. What she didn't count on was the impact to Lord R's reputation and livelihood.
Enter our hero, Lord Roxbury; a rake who enjoys and loves women and has no intention to marry. He is often mentioned in Julianna's gossip column much to his dismay. When his father summons him to lay down an ultimatum, marry within the month or be cut off, he is shocked and furious. He entertains thwarting his father but knows that he must marry to continue his lifestyle. Unfortunately, due to the rubbish in A Lady of Distinction's gossip column; finding someone to accept him is nearly impossible. He intends to set the record straight.
Lord R. storms into The London Weekly demanding an audience with Mr. Knightly to explain the scene that started this mess. Fortunately for him, the author is in Knightly's office when he bursts in. Hoping to convince her to retract the story, he explains the scene that she witnessed. Julianna refuses to even validate his story, let alone retract or apologize. This decision not only cements his ruin but results in someone close to her being wounded. Despite feeling remorse and sympathy for Lord R's situation, she won't back down.
Then when The Man Around Town publishes the truth (thanks to the second participant in the scandalous scene Lady Julianna witnessed), Lady Julianna's credibility is questioned which could compromise her position @ The London Weekly. She comes up with a plan to infiltrate a Gentleman's club in disguise to up the ante and out-wit her rival. Naturally Lord R. notices her yet he does not expose her secret, he actually helps her and is the perfect gentleman despite her ruining his reputation and any marriage prospects. They actually part on a good note.
Sounds interesting right? Unfortunately, this is where the story takes a strong left for me....
How does she repay his kindness? By writing a column fueling the fire to the lies in her original column, despite that they are obvious lies. I was furious when she refused to validate his claim but to continued to publish untruths just for the sake of sales and notoriety pushed me over the edge. I liked Lord R but at this point, I expected him to use his trump card and expose Julianna as The Lady of Distinction, He does not, but he does ruin her to an extent. Her ruination = no parties or social events which = no juicy gossip for The London Weekly which = a precarious position for her column.
She had the audacity to be upset because he ruined her and he was stupid enough to feel remorse [Insert Face-palm]. He had no plans to offer for her but soon realizes that the only way for both of them to become respectable is to marry each other which will also satisfy his father's ultimatum. She puts up a fight but soon see's the logic in his plan. They marry and the drama continues which made me like her less and less.
The ton is wary and speculates that this is not a normal marriage. The nitwit aka Julianna decides that she'll still support herself and live in her town-house without her brand new hubby. He reminds her that it will only add to the gossip so she reluctantly agrees to live with him, temporarily of course.
They continue with their circus of a marriage and It's easy for the reader to deduce that he is falling in love with her. At this point despite liking Lord R, my eyebrows are creased in puzzlement. I was ready to throttle him for his stupidity. Julianna misses being independent and writing. Surprisingly enough, We see them become closer, more like a couple who is courting (at this point, there's no intimacy). Then when an intruder breaks into their home, they finally become man and wife in truth. They continue to become closer. Lord R wants to help her find the identity of her bitter rival so he concocts a plan to draw the man out at a ball. Julianna doesn't like secrets so because he did not confide in her, she feels betrayed. So much so, she moves out while he is still asleep. Of course, Lord R feels that he was wrong [Insert WTF].
I won't go on. Julianna was one of the most unlikable heroins I've ever encountered. She was a shrew and stubborn beyond reason. I could not get over her lies and ruining a mans life all because of her ambitions. Lord R while likable was too accommodating and quick to forget the wrongs that she has imposed on him. I was so ready get to the end of this book. It was a frustrating read and if I didn't believe in reading each book in a series, I would have stopped after she repaid his kindness with more insinuations.
The secondary characters were not that great, we catch up with the other Writing Girls but that's about it. Another thing that cooked my goose, I was expecting for The Man Around Town to be someone whom we knew, instead he's a nobody. There was potential for this book but Julianna was entirely too stubborn and never fully redeems herself in my eyes. In general I liked Lord R but he was a doormat for Julianna and therefore he was not enough to redeem this story. I simply couldn't stand her. 1.5 read/listen for me.
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